Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge rejected the defense’s motion to dismiss the corruption case against City Councilman Curren Price last Friday. Earlier this year, Price was ordered to stand trial on charges of misappropriating public funds and failing to disclose financial interests.
According to the City News Service, Judge Larry Paul Fidler supported the county prosecutors’ position, stating that even though the evidence is circumstantial, it is sufficient to move forward with the case. He ordered Price and his lawyers to return to court for a case progress meeting on October 16.
At 75 years old, Price was elected as a Los Angeles City Councilman in 2013 and will end his third and final term in December of this year. In December 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the initial 10 felony charges and two additional charges were added last year. These charges include embezzlement (constituting grand theft) and conflict of interest, as well as perjury.
The county prosecutors alleged that Price failed to disclose his current wife Richardson’s company as a subcontractor in forms submitted to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), from which he received payments from developers and the Los Angeles Housing Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority. These developers had projects pending before the City Council, and instead of recusing himself, Price voted in favor.
Price is also accused of misusing nearly $33,800 of city funds from 2013 to 2017 to pay for Richardson’s medical benefits, falsely claiming Richardson as his wife when he was still legally married to his ex-wife.
If convicted, Price faces up to 11 years and 4 months in prison, including a maximum of 9 years and 4 months in state prison and up to 2 years in county jail, according to the District Attorney’s office.
In January, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba rejected the defense motion, stating there were “sufficient grounds” for the case to proceed to trial.
At the time, County Prosecutor Nathan Hochman released a statement saying that the judge’s decision was “an important step in holding City Councilman Curren Price accountable for years of alleged corruption.” He stated, “The rules are clear: elected officials are not to line their pockets at the expense of voters, falsify reports, or vote on matters where there is a conflict of interest.”
Defense attorneys Michael V. Schafler and Alyssa D. Bell argued in their latest motion to dismiss the case that Price has been a “dedicated public servant, representing the 9th District excellently for over a decade,” and that the accusations are “baseless.”
Both attorneys emphasized that during the six-day preliminary hearing, the prosecutors failed to present any evidence to support the charges. Bell insisted that Price did not intentionally conceal financial ties with him or his wife in crucial votes.
Deputy District Attorney Casey Higgins wrote in the opposition to the defense motion, “There is overwhelming evidence that the defendant illegally received public funds for medical benefits based on an illegal marriage; failed to disclose conflicts of interest in multiple votes; failed to recuse himself from multiple votes with conflicts of interest; and failed to lawfully report spousal income sources, constituting perjury.”
Following the hearing, Schafler stated that the ruling was “not a determination of whether the charges have been proven or can be proven,” and Price has maintained his innocence from the beginning, still believing that the facts and the law will ultimately clear his name.
Price is the latest Los Angeles city official to be embroiled in legal or political scandals.
Former City Council members Jose Huizar and Mitch Englander both pleaded guilty to federal charges in recent years. Former councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted on federal charges in 2023 for engaging in vote trading for benefits to his son provided by the University of Southern California (USC) while serving on the county supervisory board.
Former City Council President Nury Martinez resigned in 2022 after making racially charged remarks during discussions about redistricting with two other council members and a county labor official, which were recorded.